


Summon Me

by WickedBelial



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Comedy, Himchan is Youngjae's brother, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, Soul Selling, Youngjae doesn't believe in black magic, devil!daehyun, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2018-11-09 21:03:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11112831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedBelial/pseuds/WickedBelial
Summary: After his brother’s death, Youngjae is desperate enough to try Black Magic.His plan is to summon a demon, make a deal to bring his brother back to life and basta.Youngjae doesn’t expect to summon the Devil himself.





	1. Chapter 1

Youngjae is someone rational, he places confidence in facts and scientific proofs. He doesn’t believe in magic or anything related to the paranormal slash occult or whatever the ‘not in this world’ can be called. But his brother Himchan was .. is … his everything and he has a hard time adjusting to a life without him.

Youngjae being miserable is a more accurate description of his current state of mind. He just can’t seem to get his head above water and each day spent without his older brother by his side is similar to his lungs being deprived from his full volume of air, as if his lung capacities are decreasing little by little, leaving him unable to simply breath naturally. Youngjae feels like he is dying again and again but not quite dying yet because he is still here, alive, while his brother is buried six feet under and probably rotting already.

Youngjae doesn’t want to think about his brother’s bacteria digesting his intestine or his body decaying in a puddle of nasty worms and other disgusting soil creatures. Himchan should be strutting in the streets, yelling at some of his employees because he was a goddamn C.E.O and finally starts hitting on the Sandwich Artist working at the Subway two blocks from his company. Himchan should be throwing fists here and there, be insufferable with him like every other annoying older brothers should be, but Himchan is doing none of all those things because a brainless homo sapiens thought it was clever to drive over him in his own building’s underground parking lot.

Himchan should have died once he was so wrinkled it wouldn’t have been possible to make the difference between him and an old wrinkled raisin, but instead he has left the world on the verge of turning 30 year old.

 

Youngjae assumes he has the right to consider the whole situation genuinely unfair and allows himself to complain and express his distress once in a while to Yongguk, a bookseller and Himchan’s best friend. He doesn’t want to burden him more than he already is but there are times Youngjae can’t shut up, times when he needs to rip his heart out and put on the table his feelings in order to feel connected with someone who was close to his brother. Usually Yongguk lets him rant, nods once in a while to what he’s saying and pats his shoulder to give him a semblance of support. It’s never enough for Youngjae to feel better, but the man is trying so he does his best to remain friendly.

 

"If there was anything that could bring Himchan back to life, I swear I would give everything to make it possible." Youngjae rummages through the bookshelves, fingers absentmindedly running over the paperbacks covers. "Even switching our lives, I wouldn’t care."

"What would be the point of scarifying your life for Himchan’s? Once he would be on his feet again and learn what you’ve done, he would do the same and give up his life to bring you back." Yongguk points out, knowing how stubborn the two brothers were. "I know it’s though but "

"Don’t say you wouldn’t want Himchan to be with us right now." Youngjae interjects, turning towards his brother’s best friend. "I know you miss him too. You lost so much weight because he isn’t here to drag your ass to the restaurant and shove food down your throat anymore."

"Yes and? Spending all my days grieving over him is not going to change anything Youngjae. It’s not as if there was a spell that could bring people back to life. Miracles don’t exist, even less black magic."

"Black magic?" Brows furrowing Youngjae kept talking. "As in summoning demons and stuff like that?" Yongguk’s reply consists of nothing but a shrug and Youngjae almost rolls his eyes. "Do you have books covering this topic here?"

"What, black magic and witchcraft books?" Yongguk asks and Youngjae nods, face serious. "Of course I do, down the third aisle on your right but -"

 

Youngjae flies off there, ignoring Yongguk speaking. The book section in question is pretty well-stocked and it takes him a quarter of an hour to find something that doesn’t seem too stupid in its contents. There is one spell that appears to be perfect and Youngjae takes the book’s page in picture with his phone, not believing his brain would remember the steps after one reading only, and buying a book he will never read is out of question. Surprisingly the spell requires no ingredients such as toad’s drool or human eyes but simply includes latin-rubbish sentences, wild yam and bindweed. Shouldn’t be hard to make this right Youngjae mutters to himself, doing as if he doesn’t hear Yongguk complaining that he can’t take a single page in picture because that’s not how his book business is going to flourish.

 

Youngjae walks to the counter and shoves his phone back inside his jacket. "If that spell works I promise I’ll buy the whole witchcraft section hyung so don’t tell your boss I broke the rules."

" _I_ am the boss Youngjae."

"So tell yourself you haven’t seen me doing something you wouldn’t accept from other customers." Youngjae bumps his fist against the man’s shoulder "I’m leaving."

"Keep me in touch if the spell works." Yongguk’s voice betrays him, clearly holding little but no hope in black magic but still willing to cheer Youngjae up.

"If it works you’ll see it for yourself, Himchan standing in flesh right in front of you." Walking out the shop exit, Youngjae mumbles that if the spell turns to be nothing but a bunch of lies he’ll be back in Yongguk’s shop to cry and get drunk over his dead brother.

 

 

*

 

It’s stupid to believe that such an irrational thing could work. Youngjae has no faith in this spell whatsoever but he got nothing to lose so who can blame him for trying to summon a demon?His plan is pretty simple: speak a few latin words, welcome the demon, ask him to bring Himchan back to life then sends the demon back to where he came from and that’s it.

So there he is hours later, sitting crossed legged in the middle of his barely-lit living-room, phone in hands and a bowl containing the spell ingredients inside a chalk-drawn circle. His eyes scans the incantation reflecting on his phone-screen, not sure about its meaning. As far as he is concerned, it could be a receipt for an angel cake he wouldn’t know the difference. But there’s the word "daemon" so he decides it’s really about summoning a demon and starts to read the words aloud.

 

_Audite verba exaudi vocem meam_

_Spiritus ex alia parte_

_Sine frater meus non potero vivere_

_In nomine magni dei daemon_

_Introibo ad altare domini inferi_

_Qui regit terram_

_Forsan miseros meliora sequentur_

Eyes shifting from right to left, Youngjae waits in silence for something to happen but nothing does. He takes a deep breath, tries to remain calm and not too disappointed by the lack of nothingness, and reads everything again a few times but his living-room remains the same, no creature with horns and yellowish snake-like-eyes on the horizon.

 

"Of course it wouldn’t work, what was I thinking?" Youngjae stands up and throws his phone over his shoulder, knowing it would lend on the couch behind him. "That a stupid demon would show up in my apartment to bring Himchan back to life and leave once it’s done so we can have our happily ever after kind of life? Bullshit." Youngjae kicks the bowl with the herbal mixture and drags his right foot over the chalk-drawn circle to erase the proof of his absurdity.

"First I’m not just a _stupid_ demon, second I don’t bring people back to life for the sole reason that I’m asked to, I make deals instead, and third, mind telling me where you got this spell to summon me?"

 

Stiff like stone, Youngjae slowly turns his head in the direction of the voice he has just heard, afraid of what he might come face to face with, and there it is: a man sprawled on his couch, propped up on one elbow with his phone in his hand. Bright and mysterious eyes lift to glance at him and Youngjae wishes someone was here with him to pinch him and tells him nothing of this is real, that a man hasn’t just magically appeared on his couch and that he is just having a weird dream because of his desperate mental state. But Youngjae is on his own to face a stranger who doesn’t quite look like demons he has seen in movies.

 

"Do I need to repeat myself or you’re going to answer? Because let’s be honest, if you were anyone else, your lack of respect regarding my humble person would have had killed you already, but as you’ve freed me, I’m playing nice here. Yet I would advise you to not push it too far, I have very little patience."

 

Youngjae does nothing but stares with the hope that the man will disappear as if by magic and that everything will go back to normal but it doesn’t happen and the stranger is still very much present.

Hesitant, Youngjae opens his mouth to speak, clearly not confident. "So, you’re a demon..? As in, a real demon?"

"No I’m cupid and I’m here to make you fall in love with the first person you’ll see tomorrow morning." Sarcasm is unmissable in the man’s answer. "You should be aware of who I am since you’re the one who summoned me."

"I don’t believe in magic or malevolent beings."

"And I don’t believe in miracles." A roll of eyes follows the flat comment. "Whatever. If you’ve nothing interesting to say I’ll be taking my leave."

"Wait!" Youngjae yells when the man stands up. Creepy for creepy, he might as well talk about his first summoning attempt. "Can you resuscitate someone?"

"I could easily destroy the earth so sure bringing a hominid back to life is in my abilities." The man slumps on the couch again, eyes still on Youngjae.

"My brother died weeks ago so can you do whatever you have to do to un-died him?"

"As I’ve said before, I make deals. Just because you’ve managed to drag me here doesn’t mean I’ll do what you want me to."

"Deals like what? The usual selling your soul to Satan then burn in hell for the rest of your life kind of deal?" Youngjae huffs but the silence the other man offers him stills him. It couldn’t be it… " Seriously? That’s it? I have to sell my soul to you? I thought only Satan could make those deals… " The devilish grin flashing on the man’s face turns Youngjae speechless and then it clicks in his head. Never had curved lips suited those words better than the man’s one. "Wait…. Are you Satan…?"

 

"Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, the morning star, I go by many names." The man casually waves his arms in the air then runs his hands through his hair. "But personally I like Daevil the most, spelled as d-a-e-v-i-l, not d-e-v-i-l."

Youngjae should be shocked enough to keep his mouth shut but despite everything the insignificant question at the tip of his lips still slips. "Why this spelling?"

"Now Youngjae we aren't close enough for me to reveal all my dirty secrets." the Devil tells with a grin, a gold sparkle twinkling in his eyes. Youngjae doesn't mean to notice but does anyway then suspiciously tilts his head to one side. "Wait, how do you know my name is Youngjae? I didn't tell you."

"I'm a man of great knowledge." An invisible smile echoes the words before it gets replaced by a chuckle. "Well, not a man, but if I were one, I wouldn't be able to drag your brother out of his comfy coffin so I suppose it's a win for you."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hear, hear my words
> 
> A spirit from the other side
> 
> I can't live without my brother
> 
> In the name of the great god demon
> 
> Go to the altar of the grave


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and the reading ^^

 

Youngjae wonders how he has managed to summon the Devil himself when the spell was about summoning a demon. As far as he knows the two aren’t the same but he isn’t an expert in the subject and assumes it’s probably the result of a wrong Latin pronunciation or an excess of wild yam. 

The man, or whatever this body shaped like a human is, looks straight into his eyes but doesn’t speak any more which makes Youngjae a little uneasy. He has no idea how to sell his soul to the supposed Devil and he is not even certain to know what it means. Does he have to sign a contract that stipulate that in _n_ years he will be dragged to hell? Is the deal sealed before or after his wish is granted? What guarantee does he have that the Devil will fulfill his demand and not lead him to the garden path instead? 

 

"Looks like we’re going to have some special guests." the Devil says and puts an end to Youngjae’s thoughts. "Let’s have some fun."

"What are you talking about?" Youngjae is completely lost. "Guests? What? Where? When?"

"Right here and in about fifteen seconds from now." The evil grin is back on the other’s face and he stands to rest his hand on Youngjae’s shoulder, muttering a few words he doesn’t understand. _"Oculos habent et non videbunt. Sumus invisibilus. Aures habent et non audient."_

 

A funny feeling takes hold of Youngjae just for a moment after the Devil has spoken and three strangers pop out of nowhere in the middle of his living room, scaring him like nothing had before. The Devil’s hand squeezes his shoulder and then flops back on the couch with what seems to be an amused grin glued to his face.

 

"Don’t be so scared, they can’t see or hear us. Just sit with me and watch."

"No." Youngjae shakes his head determined to stay away from this someone he should probably have no faith in, but as soon as he has finished to talk an invisible force pulls him backwards and makes him sit on the couch without giving him the chance to fight. Eyes and mouth open wide, Youngjae stares at the man beside him. "You did that?! Dragged me as if I was weighing nothing? You didn’t even touch me!"

"If you’re impressed by such a little move, then you’re going to go from one surprise to another real quick." The Devil seems proud of himself and licks his lips before gesturing to the three people standing in the room. "Want me to show you some little tricks?"

"I have the feeling that even if I say no you’ll still do whatever pleases you so…"  

"Clever boy!" the Devil pats Youngjae’s head and it takes him a lot to suppress the urge to roll his eyes but he thinks better than messing with the other. He might be ready to give up his soul but dying right there, right now, is not part of Youngjae’s plan. 

"I could have sworn _He_ was there, I felt his strength, I can’t have had the location wrong." One of the man with abnormally green eyes says between greeted teeth.

"We’re talking about the Devil, He can’t be tracked down so easily." Another man states and kneels down to look into the bowl of herbal mixture, fingers dipping inside. "There’s only wild yam and bindweed here, definitely not enough to summon Him and let’s not talk about the ridiculously simple chalk-circle. Maybe the incantation used woke your senses and made you believe someone of great power was there, but such a crappy setting would only work to summon a low class demon."

"I would have bet my life it was Him…I swear…"

"You bet it was me." The Devil smiles and his happy vibe is opposite to the cold shiver that runs down Youngjae’s spine. "Here’s your reward." He closes his hand in a fist then opens it wide in the direction of the green-eyed man and said man’s body burst into thousands of flesh pieces, redecorating every corners of Youngjae’s living room. 

Youngjae watches mouth agape the bloody mess that has just happened over a span of a microsecond. It couldn’t be real.

"What the hell?! You did that? You exploded the guy?" Youngjae’s body is turned to face the Devil and glares at him with a mixture of fear and anger. "You killed him?!"

"He was a Guardian of Harmony, not a guy so calm down, it’s no big deal."

 

No big deal my ass, Youngjae wants to say but the panic seizing the two other men or Guardians of Harmony whatever it is, leaves him speechless. They are looking everywhere with wide and burning eyes and Youngjae is relieved that he can’t be seen or heard, else he is certain they would have attacked him or even worse, killed him. Youngjae is too shocked he can't reflect on how unrealistic being out of their sights and ears is, such a thing don’t happen in real life, but right now everything is pretty real and it’s scary.

The Guardians of Harmony start talking in some language Youngjae doesn’t understand while they rummage through the room, searching for something, and when one of them approaches the couch, Youngjae instinctively kicks him in the shin, startled to see the Guardian stumble back and hiss in pain.

 

" _The fuck_?" Was it him or the Guardian who swore Youngjae is not sure but the situation gives him cold sweat anyway.

"Your body is invisible but technically you’re still here you know." The Devil casually explains and Youngjae gives him a look, thinking it would have been nice to fill him with this detail beforehand. 

"So if I can hit them does it mean that they can hit me too?" amused, the Devil nods at the question and Youngjae feels the urge to jump behind the couch to hide himself, which he does, totally ignoring the honey-smooth chuckle that escapes the Devil’s throat. 

"You little chicken, close your eyes and they will be gone in that instant." So Youngjae listens and lets his eyelids fall shut, hearing muffled voices then nothing but silence. He hesitantly opens one eye after the other and stands up, turning around then wishes he hadn’t. Judging by the chunks of flesh scattered across the living room, his safe guess is to say that the Devil made the two other Guardians explode too. 

His stomach flips, does weird noises and Youngjae has to fight back his gag reflex. The only thing he wanted was to bring his brother back to life, he definitely hadn’t wished for body bites on his pieces of furniture. Bile rises up his throat and his hands tighten on the back of the couch to keep his balance. 

 

"Looks like someone can’t handle the sight of fresh meat, such a pity." The Devil snaps his fingers and the apartment is immaculate again, evidences of the bloody massacre completely gone. Whether it’s terrific or amazing Youngjae can’t process the answer. "So, back to our deal." The Devil pulls Youngjae back to the couch, his face far too relaxed for someone who has just burst three people as easily as you turn the stove on. "I drag your brother out of his coffin, restart his little heart, erase everyone’s memory concerning his death so nobody will ask questions, then I get your soul in exchange."

"Am I going to die when you take my soul?" Out of all the things related to the deal Youngjae could have asked about, his major concern is his own death. Yongguk had told him earlier that if Himchan was to learn he had given up his life to bring him back then he’d do the same and Youngjae doesn’t want that to happen. But the Devil said he’d erase everyone’s memory so it means Himchan wouldn’t remember his own death, hence, wouldn’t be tempted to make a deal with the Devil to bring him back to life in case he died.

"Contrary to popular belief, you can totally live without a soul, but not many survives the soul-taking. Yet when it happens you only lose your identity, your memory, your feelings, your reason, well, your senses if you prefer." Youngjae gives the Devil a long stare, aghast to witness how unaffected he appears to be when informing that basically loosing his soul means loosing everything. 

"What’s the difference between dying and loosing your soul then? Because it sounds the same to me."

The Devil shakes his head, turning his body to rest one arm on the back of the couch and faces Youngjae directly. "When you die you’re dead, when you lose your soul you’re still alive. It spares your family and friends the sorrow of your loss."

"That’s stupid." Youngjae huffs and leans forward, elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together. "People who love you will still be sad because you’ll be nothing but a soulless body, you won’t be the person they knew anymore."

"Would you prefer to have your brother by your side even if he wasn’t really himself or have him dead and gone for good?"

 

A pang strikes Youngjae’s heart and he understands the Devil’s question. Some people are desperate enough to keep the one they love no matter what the beloved one’s state is and Youngjae is one of them. Hell, the fact that can’t live without his brother is the reason why he is sitting next to the Devil right now, because he can’t accept fate.

Himchan is his big brother and they have so many things to live together that letting him go is not conceivable. Himchan needs to find love and be cherished by someone who could make him feel like he is a wonderful man and not just a talented business man. Himchan has to build a life that doesn’t only rhyme with never-ending working hours, signing new contracts and having business meals at five stars restaurants. He knows Himchan loved this life but he has always wanted more for his brother, because Himchan deserves more. He is an amazing brother and an awesome man and he wants the best for him. 

Youngjae wants Himchan to fall stupidly in love and move in a new place, somewhere warm and cheerful, not this immaculate loft he had been so proud to buy. Himchan is worthy a cosy home with a king sized bed on which he’d wrapped himself up in a fluffy quilt until his lover would bring him breakfast to bed, on a tray, with a single and beautiful rose resting on it. 

If his brother was here he would say it’s dumb and boring but Youngjae knows that deep down Himchan would be all sappy about it and would allow the butterflies to grow inside his stomach because like everyone, he wants to mean everything to someone and Youngjae is plenty aware that this someone can’t be him.

This someone is the Sandwich Artist who puts twice as much chicken and bacon in his brother’s sandwich as needed because he has realized that Himchan loves meat a lot. It’s the same Sandwich Artist who gives Himchan a free cookie all the times he comes in to order and assures him that the sweet is included in the menu, which is not because his brother never orders a menu but only a single sandwich he eats in his office. It’s the same Sandwich Artist who has been pinning over Himchan for months, or years, but still hasn’t made a move because he is just a Sandwich Artist and Himchan is a C.E.O. But said Sandwich Artist is totally his brother’s style else Himchan would have never picked his lunch all those times by himself, he has people at work to do that for him. 

But Himchan is like everybody else, scared to jump head first in something called loved and happiness. 

 

"If you bring my brother back to life, will he be in possession of his soul or not?" Youngjae turns his head to the side in order to glance at the Devil who seems to be nothing but amused.

"If you want his soul too then we’ll have to review our deal. Getting a soul back isn’t easy."

A glare is everything Youngjae is able to give. "You've popped three people as if they were balloons and you want me to believe that looking for one single soul is hard for you?"

"They weren’t people, I told you that already and yes, stealing free souls is a complicated process, especially when your brother’s is up there." The Devil points at the ceiling and Youngjae finds himself following the gesture with his head, then frowns. "Up there? You mean Heaven? Does Heaven exist?"

"Heaven, Hell, you humans seem so interested in those two places but it's not what you think it is. But whatever, by being the Devil I’m not welcome there as you should have guessed." The Devil reaches out to run his index down Youngjae’s jaw, sending chills down his toes. "But I think we can work something out."

 

The skin where the Devil’s finger has touched is burning and Youngjae instantly cover the area with his own hand, trying to sooth the slight pain. His face is still smooth so he guesses he has no visible burns and that it was only a sensation in the moment, but the feeling of fire against his skin is persistent and he locks eyes with the Devil’s glowing ones. 

Youngjae swallows the lump in his throat and tries to shake off the uneasiness but the warmth spreads inside his entire body and only grows hotter. It’s uncomfortable and he is very much conscious of his blood boiling inside his veins, feeling every cells in his body. The maniac curls of the Devil’s lips make Youngjae avert his gaze and then the heat is gone, leaving him more than confused. 

When he speaks next, Youngjae doesn’t dare to lock eyes with the Devil again. He might not be certain that the staring was what made his body’s temperature rise so high but he won’t tempt fate. 

 

"How does the stealing-my-soul work?"

"It’s not stealing if we make a deal." The Devil appears to have a liking in correcting everything that doesn’t fit perfect comprehension. "You’ll be giving it to me willingly and as for how it works, it’s as easy as bursting Guardians with a finger’s snap but so much more enjoyable for me." The pointed tongue that runs on the Devil’s bottom lip should be enough of a warning for Youngjae to understand that whatever the process is he is not going to like it, but he doesn’t ask the Devil to stop talking for all that and waits for him to continue. "We have sex and while we kiss, I suck your soul up and then you’re gone."

 

Youngjae shakes his head and stands up, thinking he should send the Devil back to where he had come from but stops in his tracks when he thinks back about Himchan. He can’t let him down. "That’s not happening." He spins on his heels and confronts the still seated and grinning Devil. "Ok for the kiss but no for the sex." 

 

The Devil jumps from the couch and closes the distance between them, his hot breath crashing against Youngjae’s face. His eyes have turned darker and a tickling sensation spread over Youngjae’s skin. "A kiss for your brother’s body and sex for his soul." The devilish fingers that grab Youngjae’s chin to lift his head send sparks inside his body cells and tickle his entire frame. "It’s your choice Youngjae. Do you want your full brother back or only half of him?"

 

Youngjae narrows his eyes and bites the inside of his cheek. He knows he shouldn’t be hesitating but deep down his heart he is not certain he has enough willpower to go so far. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have eyes but can't see. We are invisible. They have ears but can't hear.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy ^^

 

Youngjae can’t stay in the living room to think about the deal when the Devil is there too and makes it complicated for him to concentrate, and God knows Youngjae needs to consider the situation with a full focus on, so he retreats himself inside his bedroom and shuts the door. 

What are the chances that a spell found in a library book everyone can buy is powerful slash magical enough to summon the Devil? And if the Devil and demons exist for real, does it mean other creatures of the sort are also alive? But where would they be found if not on earth? Was there an area on the blue planet unknown to humans? Or were those ‘people’ disguised and living among them?

No, impossible. Nothing of this could be real, Youngjae was having a nightmare, his brother wasn’t dead and everything would be alright and back to normal as soon as he would wake up.    

Youngjae sits on his bed and reaches for the framed picture on his nightstand, fingers tracing the outlines of Himchan’s face. It had been taken a few years ago on the day Himchan had officially become a C.E.O and his smile on this shoot is beaming. Youngjae can’t bear with not seeing this smile anymore. He doesn’t want his brother to become a memory and see him once in a while when he goes to the cemetery to bring him flowers that would rot in two days and turn into compost soon after. Himchan can’t take part of the life cycle, at least not now. He is too young and he’s Youngjae only family. 

Youngjae has no other siblings, his parents have been long gone and he had never been in contact with aunts, cousin or uncles. It was just him and Himchan for years and Youngjae is not ready for it to be just him and his self yet. 

He needs his brother.

 

"How many years will I be given to live before I die of losing my soul?" The framed picture is put back on the nightstand as Youngjae whispers the question to himself.

"Years, months, days, it depends on my mood." The Devil’s voice reaches his ears and makes him jump but there’s no one but him in the room. Youngjae frowns and wonders how the other could have heard him and how his voice could echo without him being here.

"Can you not do that? I don’t like when people eavesdrop my conversation." Youngjae breathes and closes his eyes, fingers rubbing his nose’s bridge.

 "I apology for eavesdropping the aloud conversation you were having with yourself." The Devil is mocking him and Youngjae doesn’t quite appreciate it. The situation is already difficult enough for him so he would appreciate if the Devil would tune it down. "But I have access to your thoughts so even if you plan to talk to yourself silently, I’ll still know what’s going on in your head."                                                                  Youngjae’s groan is the only reaction he can have. He sincerely loves his brother but dealing with the Devil is a tough experience and he feels violated of all his rights and liberty. "How do you expect me to agree on the deal when you behave the way you are?" 

"You’ve been so desperate that your very rational self has tried Black Magic, so my hopes of sealing this deal are pretty high. I’d even say I know for a fact that you’re going to sell your soul to me but if you prefer that I fake being doubtful of your decision, I can try to make an effort to look uncertain."

 Youngjae doesn’t have the strength to argue and sighs, shoulders shrinking. "I need you to give me a time bracket between the moment we make the deal and the moment you’ll take my soul. You owe me that." 

"I owe you nothing." The coldness of the Devil’s comment plunges Youngjae into apprehension, and next thing he knows is that the man is standing right in front of him, features dark. "The less I ever gave to someone for a deal is one day, the most was sixty-six years." Youngjae’s eyes open wide at the news.

"Sixty-six years? Why the huge difference?" Lying under the question is another one Youngjae implies: what could he do to be granted sixty-six years of freedom too.

"The man was on death row and wanted to be a free man again so I granted his wish, he was an interesting human beings." Youngjae frowns, sensing he isn’t going to like the answer to the question he is about to ask. "Interesting how?"

"He was a skilled serial killer, did some great job and honestly it would have been a waste to put an end to his incredible work so I was generous with him." The Devil sits on the bed then lays his back down on the mattress, looking at the ceiling as if remembering the past. "He died on his 100th birthday. I made sure he was healthy to keep his little business going until his last breath. We don’t get many people like him, which is really sad if you were to ask me."

 

 _A skilled serial killer._ The Devil has helped the perpetuation of dozens or more crimes and appears to be highly satisfied with the role he has played in the machination. He has kept a sick man who was supposed to die for his abomination alive for years in order to let him take the lives of innocent people. 

Disgust rises in Youngjae’s throat and he lifts a hand to clasp on his mouth and fight the bile back. The beating of his heart is rapid and makes him dizzy to the point he has to squeeze his eyes shut and try to keep a steady breathing. Unfortunately, the more he tries to keep his calm, the more Youngjae is seized by panic and loses it. His palms are getting sweaty and cold pearls of perspiration roll down his nape and between his shoulder blades. 

Then his entire body is numb and everything turns to black. 

     

*

 

Youngjae sits straight in the middle of his bed, eyes wide and shifty. He scans his bedroom and releases a sigh of relief when he remarks everything is fine and that there is no green eyed Gardians of Harmony looking at him in one of the four corners of the room nor golden eyes and devilish grin trying to set his body on fire from the inside.

It had only been a freaking nightmare, a hell of a realistic one but a nightmare anyway Youngjae tells himself then he rubs his hands across his face to shake off the rest of his sleepiness. The loss of Himchan has definitely messed up with his head but he will be alright at some point. He has to be.

Youngjae crashes back on his bed and buries his face under a cushion to muffle some incoherent noises. He is a grown up man now, he is supposed to be able to live on his own and shouldn’t need his brother to keep going on with his life and desperation makes it sound as if their relationship was some kind of twisted one when it wasn’t.

Youngjae was doing well before Himchan’s death. It’s right to say that they were close siblings who would meet every time they could but had no problem not seeing each other for a while. But during those times Youngjae knew they would reunite at some point whereas now, it was impossible unless he died and that an afterlife together was awaiting them if such thing existed.

The buzzing of his phone against the nightstand’s wooden surface forces him to roll on the mattress to reach for the device and notices he has height unread messages, all from Yongguk. While it isn’t unusual for Himchan’s best friend to text him, height messages seem to be on the extreme side and Youngjae wonders if the man needs someone to fill in at the bookstore for a while.

He slides his finger over the screen and reads it all.

 

> Bang - 9:32 pm: How’s the sorcerer’s apprentice doing? Got Himchan back to life? :p

 

> Bang - 01:17 am: Too busy trying black magic to reply? 

 

> Bang - 10:43 am: _Are you alive?_

 

> Bang - 07:54 pm: _????_

 

> Bang - 09:28 pm: _You ok Youngjae?_

 

> Bang - 11:03 pm: _Need to talk about your bro? Want to go out and have a drink?_

 

> Bang - 04:44 am: _You’re getting me worried. Didn’t do anything stupid right?_

 

> Bang - 08:12 am: _I tried to call several times, why aren’t you answering? Your phone isn’t dead._

 

There are four missed calls from Yongguk but it is not what surprises Youngjae. What surprises him is how his friend knows about the summoning spell when he had only dreamt about it. Maybe he had sent Yongguk a message talking about it when he was still asleep? It wouldn’t be the first time Youngjae would have slept texting, but by scrolling up their conversation no new text  shows up and therefore makes the situation even weirder.

The phone buzzes in his hands and a few worried lines pop up on the screen. 

 

> Bang - 03:07 pm: _It’s been almost 2 days. I’m on my way to check on you._

 

"You should probably tell him you’re fine unless you want your friend to kick your door down."

 

The phone drops on the floor and Youngjae comes face to face with the Devil who has magically appeared on his bed, peacefully lying on his side with a wicked smirk. Youngjae is not certain anymore how to make the difference between what is real and what is the fruit of his overactive and desperate imagination. 

"I should have had warned you that it happens to be tough for human beings to be in the same room as I am. I’m known for being slightly overwhelming." Slender fingers approach Youngjae’s face but the man quickly jumps from the bed in order to be out of the Devil’s reach. None of this had been a dream he realizes. The Devil exists for real and if he is able to have the effects Youngjae remember he had, then he is certainly not going to tolerate those hands anywhere near him. 

"Overwhelming?! I don’t think me passing out is what we can call an overwhelmed reaction!" _Almost two days_ Youngjae remember Yongguk’s word. He had been out for almost two days. "You’re lucky it’s the weekend and that I don’t have to go to work, else-" 

An amused smirk is offered by the Devil and cuts Youngjae right in the middle of his rant. "I would have called your work sweetheart, don’t worry. That’s what humans do right? They call in sick." There’s something about the way the word ‘sick’ is pronounced that makes Youngjae shiver. "You know, when you don’t show up at work in Hell, you die." The Devil closes his right hand and then opens it with a _boom_ sound, imitating a bomb or a body exploding. "So if anyone is lucky here it’s you and that’s why I’d advise you to keep in your cranium who I am because next time you’ll pass out, I can guarantee your eyes won’t open in your sweet room but on an open space of flames, screaming souls and burning bodies."

Youngjae is slammed against the nearest wall before he can process what is happening, the Devil’s hand around his throat to keep him unmoving. "Now you’re going to send an electronic message to your friend to let him know you’re still part of the living world and we’ll make this deal because my patience is growing thin." Warm lips press close to Youngjae’s ears and the digits clenching his throat are like hot needles sinking into his skin. "And trust me when I say you don’t want to see me running out of patience." 

 

The moment he is freed from the carnal jail Youngjae feels like being sucked from all the oxygen in his lungs and slides down the wall, oblivious to everything around him. He wants to reach for his phone that is resting on the floor a few inches away but he can’t move, every muscle paralyzed by fear. Youngjae wants to text Yongguk to _hurry and kick the psycho out of my apartment_ , but his body isn’t responding to what his brain is asking. 

The Devil is gone but Youngjae can’t seem to find peace, panic lies at the tip of his tongue and fright turns his fingertips callous. So when the bell rings, he can’t even stand on his feet, prisoner of his own body. He is nothing but a bag of bones. 

Then he hears voices; Yongguk’s deep one and the Devil’s too. It sends a jolt of electricity through his veins because what if the Devil hurts his friend? Grieving over his brother is enough for Youngjae, he doesn’t want to cry Himchan’s best friend death on top of that. 

Finally, after what seems to be eternity, Youngjae manages to get on his feet and opens his bedroom’s door, ready to tell Yongguk to get the hell out of here if he doesn’t want to burst as if he was a bubble or worse become a human torch, but his friend’s unexpected laughter halts his moves.

Youngjae frowns and pricks up his ears. 

 

"Sorry man, if I had known I wouldn’t have come and woke you up, but Youngjae usually answers my texts right away unless something’s wrong so I got worried, you know, with everything going on in his life lately so I came here to check on him but well I didn’t expect him to have company, not that it never happened before right but yeah, just, you know, it’s fine he has some fun and enjoy his time a little, so well, that’s it I guess." Yongguk never babbles unless he is nervous or uncomfortable and it drives Youngjae to leave the corridor to shuffle closer to the voices. 

A cocoon of comfort wraps around his body when he spots his friend on his doorstep, looking fine and alive, but something quickly steals Youngjae’s attention and Yongguk is forgotten, replaced by a sight of a very naked Devil. 

There is no impressive wiggling red and split tail on his lower back but a plain pair of buttocks instead. Bare. This presumably explains Yongguk’s nervousness because if he can see the Devil’s backside, then his friend is facing the other and more disturbing portion of the anatomy.

 

"Oh my God." The words are out before Youngjae can process and two pairs of eyes are staring at him. "Where are your clothes?! Go put something on!" The Devil had his skin covered earlier, there is no logic behind why he is now in his birthday suit. 

"My items of clothing are where you threw them." A malicious grin is painted on the Devil’s face and Youngjae resists the urge to throw something, anything, at the man for his innuendo. "In the kitchen or somewhere in the living room but certainly not in your bedroom." Lazy footsteps are heard, bare feet gliding on the cool floor until they reach Youngjae. "I remember you stripped me naked way before you showed me your room." Their arms brush when they stand side by side and Youngjae can feel his skin burning again. The Devil bends his head just enough for his lips to graze his ears and blows a hot puff of air before leaving to hide somewhere in the apartment.

 

Youngjae swears the Devil definitely lives up to his name. 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

"I get why you couldn’t take a minute to reply my texts." The knowing smile Yongguk gives Youngjae makes him thorny because it’s nothing like it seems to be but it’s not as if he could tell his brother’s best friend the truth about the Devil, or could he?

 

 _Don’t_ , the Devil’s voice resounds in his head and Youngjae is scared to hear the other talk to him by thoughts.  

"You ok Youngjae?" Yongguk’s hand that comes to rest on his shoulder is warm but it’s nothing like the Devil’s warmth and it confuses Youngjae. His mind is all messed up.

"Sorry, I’m just a bit tired I guess." The easy lie is mumbled and Yongguk laughs at it, squeezing Youngjae’s shoulder a bit more before finally letting go of him. "I bet you are, Daehyun seems to have sucked all your energy. " 

The statement is meant to be a joke but it sounds too close to reality in Youngjae’s opinion. The Devil has some kind of imprint on him and literally wants to suck his soul. 

"Wait, Daehyun you said?" The question slips Youngjae’s mind in the middle of his silent conversation. Yongguk seems confused for a second then chokes a laugh.

"You’ve spent almost two days in bed with the guy and you haven’t even asked for his name yet?" 

 

It doesn’t take long for Youngjae to put two and two together and understands what the Devil has done and why Yongguk is laughing like he hasn’t been for a while. Youngjae should really be bothered that the Devil has introduced himself to his friend as a sex-date, but if it bring his hyung some kind of happy feelings for a while, then it’s not that bad. 

 

"He called himself the Devil. " _Daevil_ , Youngjae ignores the voice in his head. "I didn’t ask him to be more specific, it suited him well." A friendly fist bump against his shoulder shows him that Yongguk is doing well today and leans closer, a happy smile curving his thick lips. 

"I’m glad you’re having some fun Youngjae. " There are so many unsaid words that lie in the tone Yongguk has just used and Youngjae wishes he could reach out to him and tell him not to worry, that everything will be fine without Himchan hyung but he can’t. "I like it better to you enjoying yourself rather than wasting your time to try Black Magic to bring Himchan back to life." The pity in Yongguk’s eyes wraps Youngjae inside a blanket of uneasiness and steals everything he had planned to say. He is miserable in the eyes of his brother’s best friend and the realization is hard to take in.

"I’m sorry you had to drive all over to my place for nothing hyung. " Youngjae apologizes because there’s nothing else he can do for now.

"It’s fine." Yongguk says but Youngjae wants to tell him that no, it’s not, but he shuts himself up.  "I’ll let you two get to know each other then, maybe ask for his number before he leaves now that you know his name. "

And with a wink and a smile, Yongguk is gone.

 

The place is suddenly empty, just like Youngjae’s body, Youngjae’s mind, Youngjae’s life. Everything feels so empty to him that he decides things can’t go on like this, that he can’t keep going like that. He is young, he has to live and laugh and date and go on vacation and get drunk with his friends just because they feel like it. But in order to live this kind of life, Youngjae needs his brother, he needs to make a deal with the Devil.

 

"Fine." He says after he has pushed open the door of his bedroom and catches the Devil fully clothed and playing with the framed picture of Himchan. He wants to rip it off his hands because the Devil has no rights to touch it, but he doesn’t want to take the risk to anger him and has no choice but swallow his hatred and sucks it up.

"Fine?" The Devil repeats proudly and it makes Youngjae sick. _I told you you would say yes,_ replays in his head but he is too desperate to play dumb and send the Devil back without having the deal sealed. 

"I want my full brother back, body and soul. "

"I couldn’t tell." The Devil jokes. "Well, now Youngjae, let’s talk about how long you’ll be given before I come and claim what’s mine." Long fingers reach toward Youngjae’s chest but don’t touch the fabric of his t-shirt, it simply ghosts over it. "One? Two? I can go up to three. "

"Years?"

The Devil smirks and the door behind Youngjae closes on its own. "Months." He replies and if Youngjae’s blood had boiled earlier, the thick liquid is now completely frozen. His eyes stare at the Devil, innocent, because months is not what he had expected, far from it. 

"You look like a kicked pup, it’s adorable. " Foreign hands find refuge in Youngjae’s hair and fingers tug on a lock, forcing his head to one side. The Devil breathes in his neck when Youngjae is still figuring out how the latter can move from one spot to another in the twinkling of an eye. Puffs of warm air collide against his skin but unlike the previous times it happened, this experience is not as painful as the others.

 

"What could you give me in order to convince me to expand your lifespan to a few more years? I’m willing to give you a chance." _How kind of you_ , Youngjae thinks and the Devil’s voice replies with _Don’t be so sarcastic_ , but his lips don’t move and Youngjae understands the Devil’s telepathy is no joke. 

"What would you like the most?" The question seems to take the Devil by surprise and for a few seconds Youngjae spots confusion in the golden eyes, but as soon as it appeared, it’s gone.

"Your life." The Devil announces and it leaves Youngjae clueless because at the end of the deal, the Devil will have his life. "Living a human life on earth. That’s what I want the most but I can’t because I’m the Devil. "

"But you’re here right now, so why wouldn’t you able to be there full time? It doesn’t seem impossible."

The Devil sighs, shoulders sinking but still very strong. "Remember the Guardians of Harmony from earlier? Their role is to make sure no demons step on Earth or in case they do, Guardians have to kill them in order to protect the harmony between good and evil on earth and protect human beings. "

"Aren’t angels supposed to be the one who protect us?" Youngjae is not a believer but it’s something he has heard of quite often.

"You must be referring to Guardian Angels." The Devil stands now by the open window, elbows resting on the ledge. "They don’t exist and angels aren’t angels like humans think they are. They haven’t been created by God, damn, _The_ God doesn’t even exist."

 

The flow of confession is quite easy to follow but hard to take in and while Youngjae is not a man of church and can’t recall the last time he prayed, not even when Himchan died had he addressed himself to God, he is suspicious and wary of believing in the Devil's words.

 

"What do you mean by there’s no God?" Feeling his body less tensed, Youngjae walks the few steps that separate him from his bed and sits on it, eyes still on the Devil’s back. The other seems to have heard him move because he then turns around to face him and Youngjae quickly averts his gaze when their eyes met. 

"I didn’t say there is no God. What I meant is that there is no unique god.There are a bunch of them and the one some people refer as God with a capital G is just one of many others. Odin, Re, Thor, Horus, all of those considered as Deities and gods are all real gods. They are worshiped and have followers, that’s how and why they exist all together. But there is not one Big God above them all." It’s a challenging perspective of life and Youngjae decides it is worth giving a try. 

"So if angels haven’t been created by God, there where do they come from?"

"Earth." The words linger on the Devil’s lips but the answer is too vague for Youngjae. "Same for demons. They are just humans who died and who have been promoted to the demon or angel rank. It’s not as fancy as you all believe it is. It’s business, nothing else. "

 

There’s a grave expression on the Devil’s face and Youngjae feels a tension in his neck and shoulders, as if his body was connected to the other’s. The Devil withdraws himself into a silent state, jaws tensed and brows furrowed. Youngjae opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. What is he supposed to do? Ask the Devil if he is all right? It would be stupid to do so because he seems to have a lot on his mind and his posture isn’t welcoming so of course he isn’t 100% fine, so Youngjae stays still. He wants to understand what’s going on but fear stops him from trying anything. 

 

"I have to go." The Devil’s declaration is sudden and his words are rushed. 

Youngjae stands up to transform himself into a human barrier with in arms spread to prevent the Devil from going anywhere. "But we haven’t made the deal yet." He complains because it’s his only chance to bring his brother back and he doesn’t want to miss it. 

"I can’t stay on Earth any longer and I’m not willing to start a war with the Guardians of Harmony just for your pretty eyes."

"You can’t leave like that." Youngjae grips the Devil’s wrist and a burning sensation hits him instantly. He hisses due to the pain and releases the other immediately. "But my brother -"

"Summon me back in seven days from now, not before. And think about a great offer, else I’ll give you three months to live with your brother."

 

And the Devil vanishes in the air fast enough nobody would have believed he was even there, and if it wasn’t for the burned palm he now has, Youngjae would have thought everything had been the fruits of his imagination. 

His skin is red and angry but he doesn’t move to put his injured hand under a stream of water. He just stares at it and wishes the burn would heal itself or disappear like by magic but it doesn’t and leaves Youngjae with a bitter souvenir instead, a reminder of his encounter with the Devil.

 

* 

 

With a determined look Youngjae pushes the door of Yongguk’s bookstore the next day and barely waves at his friend before heading straight toward the Black Magic aisle to retrieve the book he had used to summon the Devil. He has a week to make a plan, think of a deal, try to learn more about Hell and demons and all the things the Devil had told him concerning gods and everything, so he doesn’t have time to waste. 

He slams the book on the counter and hands Yongguk his card, eyes lost on the wooden surface - because the store is all woods and old shelves, smells of leather and hundred years old pages, thousand miles away from Yongguk’s beloved black and white furniture esthetic, but his friend had once said that this was the spirit of a bookstore, it needed to be comfy and warm. 

Youngjae thinks it’s decrepit and antique in a bad way but people seem to dig the atmosphere because the place is still open and had been going for some time now.

 

"You’re seriously being the book? You’ve never bought anything here before." There’s a smile on Yongguk’s face that betrays his curiosity and the younger shrugs. "So now that you’ve met the Devil you’ve decided to get yourself into black magic for good?" Youngjae stiffens and lifts his eyes to meet his friend’s one. 

"How do you know I met the Devil? " A confused expression morphs the elder’s features as he charges the money. 

"Daehyun.. You told me yesterday he called himself the Devil so… I just guessed and made a joke..? "

Right, Daehyun, the Devil. Youngjae remembers the lie and lets his body relax a little. His brother’s best friend is probably thinking that the so called Daehyun has turned his brain over with their supposedly two days of amazing sex, but it’s fine. It’s a safe alibi Youngjae allows Yongguk to believe in. 

 

"That was a weird weekend hyung, you wouldn’t believe what happened. "

"Oh, maybe I would but I’m certain I don’t want to know what you two were up to." The card is given back and the book is put inside a paper bag, environmental friendly. "Seeing his package was enough for me and judged by your disheveled state, I guess I got the picture of what you two did. "

"Believe me you don’t." The comment is muttered and Youngjae grabs his purchase. "I’ll be busy for the whole week so don’t worry if I don’t text you much hyung. "

"You sure you’re ok?" The worried look is back on Yongguk’s face and Youngjae is really getting tired of being the recipient of his friend’s concern. He appreciates it, he is also anxious about Yongguk’s well being, but it’s getting harder to bear with it and he hopes everything will soon be fixed with the help of the Devil. Youngjae wants to go back to the days where Yongguk was nothing but gummy smiles and can’t-give-a-damn-attitude, but his carefree self will only be back when Himchan will crawl from 6 feet under and be thrown into their lives once again.

"I’m fine, I need a little time for myself. Don’t worry. "

 

Yongguk assures him that he won’t but Youngjae knows he will because that’s what true friends are there for. They worry about you, think about you, they get sad for you or get happy for you, they make sure everything is fine with you even when things are bad, they grieve for you, they ache for you. Friends are a part of you and Youngjae can’t blame Yongguk for being protective. He is glad he is actually, because his brother’s best friend is what he has closer to family now. And he owes him Himchan back.

 

*

 

Youngjae is a clever young man, he knows how to read a book and quickly pick out the most important pieces of information, but this time it isn’t about economics or calculus or history. The book he has between his hands are hundreds pages of Black Magic and he ignores what parts are supposed to be helpful in his task and what aren’t. He has to find a way to allow the Devil to stay on Earth without being tracked down by those Guardians of Harmony, meaning he has to find a spell that could hide the Devil’s presence from them. 

 

From what he has understood, the Devil can only stay for around two days else troubles arise. He has no idea if the other has done anything special to keep the Guardians of Harmony away from him when he was at his place, except for the three guardians he has killed, or if his presence is known after 48 hours spent on the planet. There is so little he has in his possession and he can’t see the light. Youngjae feels stuck in a pitless black well.

He leaves through the pages and stops when he spots an head-title that strikes his attention. It says "Rulers of the Underworld."

 

_"Contrary to popular belief, the Underworld is not a place ruled by one single entity. It’s divided into several Kingdoms, each of them ruled by a specific god of death, a goddess or a deity."_

 

Tilting his head with furrowed eyebrows, Youngjae thinks back about what the Devil had told him about the existence of several gods up in the sky and not just one hierarchical superior being. Apparently the underworld isn’t much different. 

 

_"Here is a list of some of the most powerful rulers and their kingdoms’ names:_

_(1) Devil - The Road to Hell ………………………………………………....p.66_

_(2) Ereshkigal - Irkalla, The Home of No Return………………………...p.79_

_(3) Hades - The place of the Dead……………………………………….....p.87_

_(4) Hel - The Realm of Hel (Helheim)……………………………………....p.99_

_(5) Izanami no Mikoto - Yomi, The World of Darkness…………….…..p.111_

_(6) Mictlantecuhtli - The Kingdom of Mictlan…………………………….p.126 "_

 

There are more names, more rulers quoted on the page but Youngjae’s eyes quickly go back on the first name, being the one who concerns him directly: the Devil.

He flips some pages until he reaches the right one and uncaps a marker pen, ready to learn more about the Devil. It’s stupid to consider it as some sort of assignment but Youngjae wants to treat the subject the same way he used to do when he was still a student: read, research, learn, remember.

 

_"The Devil does not come out of the womb of a woman. He is not the fruit of a mother and a father but has been created by the first men who believed in the god God. As God ruled The Road to Heaven, the place where good and repentant souls go once their bodies are dead, evil people and sinners needed their own prison underground. The Good and Evil couldn’t mix, hence the creation of Hell._

_As gods are created by human’s faith, so is the Devil and as long as people will believe he exists, then the Devil will. "_

 

Youngjae pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes. What he is reading is beyond his mind comprehension. He has barely come to the acceptance that the Devil exists for real, that there are things out there that aren’t humans, but as a non-believer, he can’t take for truth that faith itself is powerful enough to create a new entity. He needs facts that can prove this kind of achievements and right now the book he holds in his hands gives him nothing but the story of the Devil. 

It doesn’t matter if Youngjae wanted to learn more about him in the first place; he simply can’t be convinced by words someone has written for the purpose to sell and make money.

 

_"The Devil rules over the Road to Hell, a part of the underground world that offers everlasting punishments to twisted souls. The suffering in Hell has no end, it’s pure destruction, torture and fire."_

 

Youngjae skips several paragraphs, eyes absentmindedly flying over sentences that held no interest in his opinion. He doesn’t want to know how a soul in Hell can turn into a demon to torture others, he doesn’t want to read about the evil taking place underground; he simply wants to find out a way to buy himself a few more years on Earth with Himchan, but the book doesn’t seem to contain the wanted and needed answers.

 

_"In order to do his job without being tempted to send corrupted souls back to Heaven (as souls appear to be willing to claim their innocence and beg for mercy to reside in Heaven) the Devil has been deprived of developing feelings. "_

 

Youngjae stares and reads the passage again. If the Devil has supposedly no feelings, then how could the anger and sarcasm he showed the previous day be explained? Youngjae circles the last part of the sentence and draws a question mark in the margin.

He goes back to the beginning of the book to check the published date thinking that maybe the book is old and that perhaps with years the Devil has been able to feel something, but there is none. Frowning, Youngjae checks the back cover but there’s nothing there too, no date, no ISBN, no barcode, no published company. No author. Just the sticky etiquette on which Yongguk had written the price. 

 _If this couldn’t be any stranger…_ Youngjae mumbles then takes his laptop, typing in the search bar the book title with the hope of finding something, anything, but it’s unsuccessful and if google can’t give him the answers then who can? 

 

Hands messing with his hair, Youngjae collapses on his bed, defeated. He still has six days to come up with a deal the devil won’t be able to turn down, but there is a feeling growing inside him that this is going to be an impossible task. 

Three months with his brother is already better than nothing but it’s clearly not enough. He can’t give up and for once, Youngjae wishes he had faith in some gods to pray because he’s feeling so desperate that a sign would be more than welcome. 

 

But days pass by and the sign doesn’t come. Youngjae rubs his hands over his tired face, spell and herbals ready to summon the Devil despite his lack of evident motivation. He has found nothing that could allow the Devil to spend his life on Earth unless he starts a war between Hell, Heaven and the Guardians of Harmony which doesn’t sound like a very clever idea. And even if Youngjae had found a way to drag the Devil out of Hell forever, someone would still be needed to rule over Hell. It would need a demon or an Evil soul to take over the Devil’s legacy and from the way the Devil had talked about demons and angels, it’s like a business where some are promoted and some aren’t but whom all are under the rules of an evil C.E.O. 

So if the Devil was to step down his position as the king of the underground world, then someone with great and similar qualities would simply have to take his place and that’s it. The Devil would be free to live on Earth. Easy. 

 

But if it was so easy Youngjae thinks, the Devil would have done it since long already if he craved to live like the other human beings that much. He would have chosen someone to replace him…. 

 

"But what if he can’t choose the person on his own? It would explain why he was still stuck there… " But if the Devil, being the most powerful entity in the underground world can’t do it himself, then who can? 

 

Youngjae growls and takes the page of the summoning spell. If he has to become the Devil himself in order to be given more years with his brother, then so would he.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Audite verba exaudi vocem meam_

_Spiritus ex alia parte_

_Sine frater meus non potero vivere_

_In nomine magni dei daemon_

_Introibo ad altare domini inferi_

_Qui regit terram_

_Forsan miseros meliora sequentur_

 

 

The lights in Youngjae’s living room flicker as he finishes to pronounce the summoning spell and a really tall man shows up in front of him. He is not the Devil and Youngjae stumbles back because this wasn’t planned.

Deep red eyes look at the chalk circle drawn on the floor inside which he is standing, then at Youngjae, frustration easily showing across their face. Perhaps the Devil has the ability to change his appearance and morph into someone else? Or maybe not.

 

"You’re not the Devil." Youngjae cautiously comments before he is given an exasperated roll of eyes. _Awesome_ he thinks, whoever is in his apartment doesn’t seem to be willing and happy to be there.

"You used a demon summoning spell, why would I be the Devil?" the demon crosses his arms over his toned chest, weight resting on one foot. "And you can’t summon Him."

Youngjae frowns, it doesn’t make sense. "I did last week. We were supposed to see each other back today to conclude our deal." He explains while keeping his distance with the demon.

"Whoever you summoned wasn’t the Devil, believe me. He can’t get out of Hell. You probably were fooled by a demon." Youngjae lingers on the thought; there’s a chance he might have been lied to but the Devil had seemed very sincere about his identity and he can’t point out a single reason that could explain why the other would have done such a thing.

"He called himself the Daevil, spelled d-a-e-v-i-l, based on his name Daehyun?" The red eyed demon pauses for a second, confusion crossing his face and giving him a much younger look. "He was around my height, thick lips, golden eyes? He could read my thoughts and his body was burning."

"How do you know that?"

"I grabbed him and burned my palm doing so." Youngjae waves his still bandaged hand to prove his point. It isn’t as painful as it used to be but it still itches at times and forever recalls him of his encounter with the Devil.

"You’ve seriously met him…." The demon whispers as if he is afraid to talk aloud. He seems to be lost in thoughts but his eyes finally stare back at Youngjae. "What spell did you use to summon him? It’s not supposed to happen, he shouldn’t be able to come on earth, there must be a fault somewhere…"

 

The Devil had asked him the same question but Youngjae has no guarantee the red eyed demon is on the Devil’s side. He can’t take the risk to show him the book because what if there’s something inside it that could be used against him and prevent the Devil to come back on earth and therefore ruin his plan to bring his brother back to life? He is the only one able to do that, unless the demon can too?

It’s worth asking Youngjae thinks, perhaps he could even be given more time with his brother as originally planned.

 

"Can you bring someone’s body and soul?"

"Depends." The demon shrugs but his nonchalance hides suspicion. "What’s the name of the person you want to dig up?"

"Himchan. Kim Himchan. My brother."  The demon nods and adds in understanding "Give me five minutes and I can give you an answer, but you have to erase that chalk circle first."

"Why?" Another roll of eyes that translates the demon’s exasperation. "You don’t seem to know much about black magic do you?" A negative shake of the head is the only answer Youngjae gives him. "Circles are there to imprison the summoned demons so they don’t wander around and cause troubles, but yours is basically just a plain circle and shouldn’t be strong enough to cage me but surprisingly it does the job." So this is why he needed to draw that thing, to protect himself.

"But wait…. The Devil freely walked in my place, how come he could and you can’t?"

"Because he’s the Devil." The tone is accusing as if the answer is so obvious it’s not understandable that Youngjae doesn’t know it. "One of the many reasons he’s not allowed to walk on earth is because he’s way too powerful. Your circle here? It’s like cutting arms with a portable sawmill, it gives no resistance at all." The comparison makes Youngjae’s stomach hurts and a part of him wonders if it’s what they do in Hell, if they tear people limb from limb and dismember them using tools. "Whatever, the circle, erase it."

 

Youngjae is skeptical. Erasing it can allow the demon to move as it pleases him and therefore put himself at risk. He could die right on the spot if the demon decided that it was all right to take his life… But if the creature with human features can help him, then Youngjae is willing to give a try.

He takes a few guarded steps forward and very slowly sweeps one foot over the circle, mentally praying to stay alive, but to his surprise, as soon as the chalk is gone, so is the demon.

Youngjae’s eyes scan the living room for no specific reasons then sits on his couch. He was right the first time he summoned the Devil instead of a demon, he must have made a mistake somewhere for real, and if the red eyes can’t do the job, Youngjae will have to find out what he has done differently otherwise he won’t be able to summon back the Devil and he will have to say goodbye to his brother for good.

 

"No way I’m going to get your brother’s soul. His body is an easy thing but his soul? Forget it." The demon is back with frantic eyes and throws the news at Youngjae as if it was of no importance. "If his soul was in Hell it would be a piece of cake for me but it’s in Heaven." This Youngjae already knew, the Devil had told him the same thing. "It’s not a very welcoming place for me and my demon friends but it wouldn’t haven been impossible. See, I’ve stolen one or two souls up there already but I got nearly killed each time, but the angel in charge of protecting your brother’s soul?" The demon huffs and runs his fingers through his hair. "I’m not setting a foot near him. Don’t take it personally but we don’t know each other and I’m not going to die for you."

 _Chicken_ Youngjae wants to say but there’s something that intrigues him more and he asks about it instead. "Demons can die?" 

"Yeah, we become atmosphere particles. Being a demon isn’t perfect but at least I’m still sort of alive." The red eyed creature shrugs and many other questions arise in Youngjae’s mind but the demon doesn’t let him the chance to ask them. "I can only bring your brother’s body, you’re up for it?"

"No." Youngjae breaths and buries his face in his hands, elbows digging in his knees. "Not if you can’t make him whole again."

"Can’t do." It almost sounds like an apology but there are no feelings in the words said. "And unless you find a demon who has lost his mind or who’s suicidal, nobody’s going up to Heaven to steal your brother’s soul, so if I were you -»

"The Devil said he’d do it. I’m going to trust him on this one." Trust is a big word and if Youngjae is totally honest with himself, he doesn’t trust the Devil one hundred percent. He has little faith in the other but he’s his only hope so he has to cope with his doubts. "If I can summon him again, that is to say."

"Good luck with that, I’m certain it was pure luck you’ve managed to pull him out of Hell." It’s not very encouraging and motivating but Youngjae can’t give up now. "I’d advise you to not tell anyone, demons included, that you’ve met with the Devil. He’s maybe the ruler of the Underworld but not everyone’s fan of him." The warning is clear enough to convince Youngjae to keep his mouth shut and follow the piece of advice. "Until then, goodbye."

 

And the demon is gone.

 

Youngjae leans on the couch and rests his head on the top of its backrest, eyes staring at the ceiling. He doesn’t want to fail, it’s an outcome he can’t accept. He wants to see his brother, he wants to hear him talk and laugh. He wants to see him breath.

Youngjae keeps the Black Magic book close to his chest and lets his eyelids fall shut, wishing the Devil could hear him and magically show up in the room. He would feel blessed but it can’t be that easy because it would mean Youngjae is a lucky man and so far, luck has done nothing but failed him.

 

So Youngjae waits, misery and desperation for his only company, and his body slowly abandons himself as he starts relaxing, a pleasing warmth spreading within his limbs. The feeling is nice and for once, his perpetual and everlasting sorrow seems to be gone, the weight of his extreme sadness taken off his shoulders.

His breathing eases and agreeable tickles calm his whole self, mini fireworks exploding inside his cells and release endorphin. Youngjae’s head falls to one side and he gives himself to the pleasing sensation, body wrapped in an invisible cocoon of heat.

 

"Your soul is going to be delicious." A murmuring mouth brushes against his neck and Youngjae jolts, sitting up straight on the couch. Panic covers his relaxed state in less than a second.

The Devil is here, right next to him with flames imprisoned in his eyes and his signature smirk drawn on his face.

"Your spell worked a bit too well today, you’ve succeeded to summon me and another demon _at the same time_. It’s sure not a common thing."

It takes Youngjae a minute to find his voice back. "What do you mean by at the same time? You’re only appearing now."

"Yes and no. I was summoned first and ended up in your bedroom but by the time I was on my way to the living room, the other demon was already caged in your circle. I had to keep my profile low while you two chit-chatted." The Devil’s eyes travel on Youngjae and makes him strange. There’s this nice feeling inside him again. "I was getting impatient but I didn’t want to kill my friend just because he was stealing five minutes of our time. True friends are hard to find in Hell, we all are so _vicious_."

 

The tip of the Devil’s tongue sticks out between his lips when speaks the last word and Youngjae can’t help but stares at the split tip. It’s distracting and he tries to tear his attention away but there’s nothing he can do, his orbs are stuck on the movable organ. Combined with the Devil’s golden eyes, the image perceived is almost animalistic and definitely evil. Youngjae recognizes he should be frightened by the other’s presence but there isn’t an ounce of fear inside him this time. It’s better than feeling dizzy, fainting or combusting like he had previously experienced but Youngjae bets there’s nothing natural about his body’s reaction and that it must be one of the Devil’s effect. He has no idea what he is doing to him but something’s happening and Youngjae doesn’t really like the idea of being played with.

 

"Stop what you are doing right now." He commands with a frown that darkens his features.

"I’m not doing anything." The lie is betrayed by a playful smirk the Devil doesn’t even try to hide. "It’s not nice to accuse people of doing something they haven’t done."

"You’re not a people." Youngjae comments, serious. "The same way you said Guardians of Harmony aren’t people, the same goes to you. You’re the Devil. You aren’t human.» 

 

The bubble of well-being explodes right after Youngjae has finished speaking and the Devil moves from sitting beside him on the couch to in front of him, on the black piece of furniture where the TV rests. The physical distance sets a boundary between them and lets Youngjae know that he already has crossed a line he shouldn’t have.

Whatever he read in the book about the Devil not having feelings is totally wrong Youngjae concludes at that moment because clearly, the other’s annoyance and anger can be felt.

 

"Some people have died for less than talking to me the way you did." Youngjae believes the Devil’s statement; it seems obvious that it takes very little to be on his bad side and being evicted from this world sounds like a natural answer to bothering the Devil. Youngjae should know better than expecting the ruler of the Underworld to be nice. "If your soul wasn’t the promise of a delightful meal, I wouldn’t hesitate to suck it out of you right now."

Youngjae decides to ignore the threat and be courageous, meaning rude and impolite. "Before you decide to kill me you should listen to the deal I’ve found."

"Not sure you deserve to be listened to." The Devil’s hands are on either side of his body, gripping loosely at the edge of the piece of furniture. With his position and aura, he reigns the living room even if it’s not his place. It’s a silent reminder to Youngjae that he should watch his step and mouth. He doesn’t.

"Then it would be your loss." Youngjae hopes his determined eyes convey enough self-confidence to convince the Devil to bear with a little bit of insolence hurting his ego and that the deal is worth his time.

"That better be good." 

 

The Devil doesn’t say more and Youngjae takes it as a clue to get his plan off his chest. He can’t screw this up, it’s his only way to expand his three months stay deal with his brother.

 

"You said you wanted to live a human life so what about we switch places?" It’s silent but the Devil’s eyes urge him to keep going. "You live on earth like every other human beings and I take over your role in Hell. But I want years to spend with my brother, not months."

The temperature in the living room suddenly rises and it’s as if the whole room is burning down but there are no flames, no smoke, no fire. The Devil hasn’t blinked an eye but Youngjae wonders to what extend the Devil’s supposed nonexistent feelings can have an effect on people, on him. 

"You want to become the Devil?"

"I don’t want to." Youngjae shakes his head, voice strained. "But I have no choice, I haven’t found anything else so take it or leave it."

The Devil licks his lower lip, the tip of his split tongue teasing Youngjae’s curiosity. "How many years are you asking for?"

"Does it mean you’re accepting the deal?" Hope fills Youngjae’s heart for the first time since he has met the Devil. 

"Only if you’re being reasonable about your request." 

Youngjae hadn’t really thought about that part of the plan, he had expected the Devil to choose on his own. It doesn’t help that the other is being very vague about it. "What does reasonable mean to you?" 

A sheepish grin is the Devil’s first answer. "I’m not very reasonable."

 

Youngjae stares right at the golden eyes, tired of the lack of helpfulness. He can’t ask for eternity, he loves his brother but it sounds way too long.

 

"Until he dies next?" Youngjae seems to have won the Devil’s interest. "If he dies and that you take my soul right away I won’t have the time to grieve him so that’s fine, right?"

"I have the feeling that if I explain you clearly what happens when you lose your soul and then become the Devil you’ll change your mind so I’m going to call this a deal."

"For real? Just like that? Is it that easy?" Youngjae can’t hide his shock but the warm laugh he next hears surprises him even more. It’s weird to hear that sound coming out of the Devil’s throat. "I swear once you’re be the Devil you’ll find it anything but easy."

It’s not a very reassuring perspective but Youngjae can’t step back now. He’s too close to see his brother back. "Do you think I’m up to the task?"

"No." The Devil jumps down from where he is sitting, a vicious smile tugging the corner of his lips. Youngjae doesn’t see him walk but the next thing he knows it’s that the Devil stands in front of him and leans in. "But I really want this life on earth so I’m sealing this deal before you have cold feet." Teeth scrape down Youngjae’s neck and leaves a burning mark. "Your brother will be back soon so enjoy your time together because the next time we meet…" The Devil’s mouth is now by his ears, hot gust of hair crashing on Youngjae’s sensitive skin. "It’ll be your last day on earth."

 

How is it possible to take The Devil’s crown to rule over his underground kingdom if his soul is sucked beforehand is what Youngjae plans to ask, but the question gets stuck in his throat when thick and blazing lips ghost over his own. They barely touch but Youngjae gets the wind knocked out of him anyway. 

 _Deal sealed_ the Devil whispers and disappears.

 

*****

 

Youngjae is in the kitchen and stares at the coffee mug that rests between his hands, the liquid held in the ceramic long cold. It’s been three days, almost four that he has made the deal with the Devil and Himchan is yet to be seen. Through the past days, he has gone to the cemetery before and after work, hoping to see his brother’s hand going out the ground like it happens in zombie movies but after spending everlasting hours outside without a single sign, Youngjae’s faith has grown thin and he feels betrayed by the Devil. He can’t summon him yet because it has not been seven days since their last meeting but he sincerely wishes the other hasn’t tricked him, else -

 

"Care to explain why I was passed out on your couch at like, 6pm? I never leave work so early so how come? And damn, my head hurts so much I feel like hell.»

There, Himchan is standing at the kitchen’s doorframe, looking as alive as anyone who has been dead for months can be. He is still the same in his tailored suit, crippled this time which is unusual. His hair, his face, his voice. How much has Youngjae missed this voice?

"Earth to Youngjae, are you listening?" He is. He is so listening to the brother he had thought he’d never be able to hear him ever again. "Jae?"

 

The younger man walks a few steps and wraps his arms around Himchan, caging his body into a crushing embrace. He needs to feel him, to confirm that his brain isn’t messing with him, that he’s fully back. 

 

"Hey, you’re trying to crush me in two or what? I know I always tell you you’re not built to kill a fly but come on, I take it back, you’re strong ok? You got your point proved here."

Youngjae’s arms tighten when he realizes it’s his whole brother back, not just his body. It’s is teasing self, the one he sometimes hates so much but whom he missed a lot. The Devil has been true to his word and managed to bring Himchan’s soul back, his memories and all the things that make Himchan complete. 

Youngjae squeezes his eyes shut, overwhelmed by the emotions.

 

"Are you crying?" Himchan tries to break free from the hug but Youngjae hold tight onto him and doesn’t want to let him go yet. He has waited for this moment to happen for too long and can only hide his face against his brother’s body. It’s not the first time Himchan sees him whine but right now he doesn’t have an explanation that could justify his behavior and telling the truth is out of question.

"Just give me a minute." Youngjae almost pleads and thankfully, Himchan relaxes and welcomes the embrace. Finally, Youngjae thinks, it feels like home again.

 

The minute lasts longer than sixty seconds but when Youngjae pulls back, his eyes aren’t wet anymore and he is able to smile warmly at Himchan. His brother, his family, his blood. 

"So, now that you’ve hugged me for the next decade, mind telling me why I’m here?"

 

A lie, Youngjae needs to invent something believable. If what the Devil said is true, everyone but him has forgotten about Himchan’s death so today is supposed to be nothing but a typical work day for his brother and his employees, hence why he can give whatever probable lie. 

 

"I don’t know." He simply says, face innocent. "You just came here and crashed. You didn’t look well, maybe it was something you eat?"

"Food!" Himchan explains as if it made sense to him but it doesn’t to Youngjae. "I think I’ve skipped lunch, that’s why I must not have felt well. You know how I can’t function without my sandwich-cookie-coffee break." 

With this comment, Himchan gives Youngjae all the ammunitions he needs to follow his plan of making sure his brother lives his life to the fullest, and if it has to start with his love life, then let it be.

"More like you can’t function without having your daily dose of the Sandwich Artist man." 

 

Youngjae smiles and can’t help but notice how easy it is to fall back into their old teasing habits, how easy it is to be around his brother. It’s just like before, as if Himchan had never died and that he had never dealt with the Devil.

 

"What do you mean?" Himchan’s voice and eyes are suspicious but he probably knows where the conversation is going. 

"You two are interested in each other but neither of you wants to make the first step." Youngjae smiles knowingly. His brother’s presence brings him happiness and joy. "It’s been two years and you don’t even know the boy’s name because you pretend to not care or eye him when you order."

"You talk as if you were with me at every lunch break I take, which you aren’t, so you can’t say anything about that."

"We’ve met enough times to pick up lunch for me to observe you both. You never even stay in to eat and" Himchan raises his hand to interrupt Youngjae.

"I don’t have the luxury to chill at noon, how do you expect me to hit on him?" It’s easy to hear the light frustration that wraps Himchan’s voice but it gives Youngjae an idea. Now that his brother has pretty much confessed he would make a move on the other man if he had the time to, the only thing he needs now is to make it happen.

"What about we go now? It’s not noon, you’re not at work and you seem like you could use some Subway coffee. It’s on me.»

"If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to set me up with the guy." Himchan has his arms crossed over his chest in that typical bossy and reproaching posture he most likely shows his employees, but it has no effect on Youngjae. His brother was more intimidating when they were kids. "But you know what? I could really eat something right now, but only if you promise me to be a good little brother and behave."  

"Anything for you hyung." The statement holds one hundred percent of truth. "You may want to smoothen you suit and hair before we go though."

 

*****

 

They reach the Subway a little before 7pm, after Himchan had taken a shower and some pills for his headache. The fast food is half full but thankfully there is not a big line, just two people. 

When he doesn’t spot the Sandwich Artist behind the counter Youngjae fears his plan is dead, but as if the man had sensed their arrival, the rather short employee shows up from the storage door. However, Youngjae is fast to note that the Sandwich Artist doesn’t wear his signature nice smile and sweet eyes but a cold and impassible mask instead, which is totally unlike him. It seems to only get worse when their eyes meet and Youngjae has the feeling the man’s annoyance is directed toward him in particular. It’s as if he is the target of the employee’s killer mood and he doesn’t understand why because they don’t even know each other.

 

"You know what, order me the usual, I’ll go get us a table." Himchan cuts Youngjae’s train of thoughts and gestures to the sitting area. "I’m not going to ask for his name or anything else when he’s like that. I don’t want to get shot down in flames."

 

Himchan is gone as soon as the last word leaves his mouth and Youngjae pouts, turning his attention back to the counter and catches the Sandwich Artist following his brother with his eyes. There’s something in his look Youngjae can’t make out, sadness, longing maybe? But when the employee stares at him next, it’s thousands of reproach that are conveyed through his orbs and it makes him uncomfortable, even more when Youngjae has no idea what he has done wrong.

The shorter man seems to lead an inner fight, jaws tensed and fists balled but his lips finally part.

 

"You shouldn’t have done that." The Sandwich Artist says and it does nothing but confuses Youngjae. The other seems to note his disoriented state and keeps talking, voice threatening low. "Dealing with the Devil brings nothing but pain."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your comments and kudos! The Daevil appreciates it :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I took so long to update, but life, you know..  
> Enjoy!

For the past few weeks, nightmares have stuck to Youngjae’s skin the same way leeches do and no pills or medications have had any effects on the fever and sweat that have been waking him up several times in the middle of the night.

At first, Youngjae hadn’t thought much about it, but as days passed by and visions of Hell kept coming back to him again and again, it was a safe guess to say that something was wrong.

Having nightmares once in a while isn’t unusual but being surrounded by flames and suffocating in his own sleep sounds sick and something needs to be done, _anything_ , because going to work and function with so much as two hours of sleep is turning into a rhythm nearly impossible for Youngjae to follow.

That’s why, after a never-ending day in his office, Youngjae makes a detour on his way home to stop at Yongguk’s bookstore in order to leaf through some other magic books with the solid hope of finding information concerning dreams about Hell and their possible side effects.

His sleeping issues have to be linked with his deal with the Devil, there’s no other explanation. His sleeping habit can’t simply turn into restless nights from one day to the next, it’s impossible.

But _impossible_ … How accurate this word can still be? Bringing Himchan back to life was supposed to be impossible but now that he’s back from the dead, impossible doesn’t sound improbable anymore.

 

Youngjae walks inside the vintage shop half determined, half dead-tired but the moment he spots a tall and young man talking to Yongguk at the counter, elbows resting on the wooden surface, Youngjae is suddenly fully awake. His heart skips a beat and anxious feelings take roots in his cells.

 

“What are you doing here?” His feet only stop stomping against the floor when he is standing next to the man, _no_ , next the demon. Youngjae has to remember that not everyone in this world is human.

“Do I know you?” The demon, whose eyes aren’t vivid red anymore but dark brown, asks with such innocence that Youngjae almost believes he has mistaken him from something else, but he knows it’s the demon speaking no matter his poor attempt at looking human-like.

“Don’t play that game with me.” Youngjae ignores the warning look Yongguk sends him from behind the counter, he can’t risk his friend’s life but he can’t tell him either that the one he was talking to just a minute ago isn’t a human but a demon. Not that Yongguk would believe him anyway. “You know who I am.”

“I swear to _God_ I don’t.”

 

The discreet smirk and reference to God give it all away, the demon perfectly knows who Youngjae is.

Youngjae wants to ask him what he is doing in Yongguk’s bookstore and why he is freely walking on Earth instead of being in Hell but he can’t say anything without revealing everything in front of his brother’s best friend and Youngjae gets the feeling the demon is perfectly aware he’ll keep his mouth shut and uses it to against him to like every other average customer.

 

The demon turns away from him in order to face Yongguk, a sweet smile plastered to his young face. “Thanks for the help hyung.”

“It’s my job.” The elder replies with a smile that share the same kindness and it sickens Youngjae. Yongguk can’t be pleasantly friendly with that demon. “Sorry I couldn’t do anything for you today.”

The demon shakes his head and waves his hands in an it’s-all-right manner and makes Youngjae’s blood boil. He doesn’t know what is happening between the two of them but he definitely doesn’t like it. “Promise me you’ll call when you get the books hyung?”

“I will, promise.” Youngjae tries really hard not to pull his hair when he looks at his beaming friend talking, then watches the demon walks out of the bookstore as if everything in this world was going perfectly fine. For him maybe, but definitely not for Youngjae.

 

He hesitates an instant about following or not the demon outside to talk to him privately but the cold expression painted on Yongguk’s face when the shop’s door closes makes him rethink his choice. So much of going after the red-eyed demon, he could still summon him later in his home if needed.

Yongguk judges him silently for what seems to be an unnecessary long time before his mouth finally opens to express his disapproval.

 

“What was that Youngjae?”

“Nothing.”

 

By replying too fast, Youngjae unwillingly implies that there’s something hidden behind his warry behavior but Yongguk would never trust him if he were to talk about demons, angels and Guardians of Harmony. Youngjae can only imagine his friend asking him what kind of spirituous liquor he has drunk to make up all those stories about the Devil being a king among so many others in a kingdom underneath earth that counts as many realms as there are above, and Heaven being the safe haven of God, who is not the only god out there and that angels are good dead people and demons bad dead people.

This whole story is so ridiculous Youngjae would laugh if he wasn’t so exhausted.

 

“Youngjae? You’re with me?” There’s a worried expression floating in Yongguk’s eyes that makes Youngjae understand he must have zooned out for a while.

“Yes, it’s just, I haven’t been sleeping very well lately. I keep having those nightmares and it’s been wearing me out.”

“What kind of nightmare?” Yongguk frowns and concern fills his voice. “Since when?”

“A few weeks.” Youngjae shrugs, wondering if it is safe to reveal more about his issue. Maybe this one time he can allow himself to share this with someone, without giving away details that would put him in a difficult position. “Basically, it’s always about Hell and the stuff going down there. The flames and heat…”

“That’s….” Yongguk pauses, searching for the right word to use “weird.”

“Yeah, that’s why I wanted to see if you had any book talking about this? You know, dream interpretation about Hell or something like that? Just to get an idea.”

“I wish I could help but you better look up for that on your laptop or in another shop. All my books about Hell, demons and witchcraft are gone, same for angels. I’ve nothing left concerning the occult or anything religious.”

 

Now, this isn’t good news for Youngjae.

 

“What do you mean by gone?”

“Someone bought them all.” Youngjae’s eyes round at that. How could someone buy so many books? And most importantly who did it? “I wonder if there’s a new phenomenon about this, Junhong also came for books like that.”

“Junhong?” A tilt of the head translates Youngjae’s confusion. He has never heard this name before and he is plenty aware of all the people coming and going in Yongguk’s life.

“The young man from earlier, the one you were unpleasant with.” _The demon,_ Youngjae mouths to himself. 

“Who bought all those books?” That’s probably confidential but Youngjae is Yongguk’s friend so he hopes he can get away with a name.

“That’s what is even weirder….” Yongguk leans against the wooden counter and Youngjae does the same, as if a very important and secretive information was about to be shared between them. “It’s Himchan’s crush who bought everything.”

“Himchan’s chrush? The guy working at Subway?”

 

Youngjae can’t hide his surprise. He hasn’t gone there since the day Himchan came back to life and that the Sandwich Artist had told him he shouldn’t have dealt with the Devil.

First that and now the books. The man undoubtedly knows things Youngjae ignores, but to what extend?

 

“Jongup. Moon Jongup his card said when he paid.” Yongguk provides as he stands straighter. “I’m still wondering how it was possible for him to buy almost half a hundred books when he simply works at a fast food franchise. I’m not looking down at his job but he probably doesn’t earn millions and some of the books he bought aren’t cheap.”

“You haven’t asked him?”

“Why would I have? His payment wasn’t rejected. He maybe has inherited some money, I don’t know. It’s not my business to dig in.” Yongguk states but Youngjae can clearly see that his friend is eaten by curiosity. “Maybe if Himchan was doing something about his crush and acted on it we would know more about the dude. But it’s your brother we are talking about. He never makes things easy.”

 

A big sigh passes through Youngjae lips and he ruffles his mop of hair, messing it up. Yongguk is right but it doesn’t help him one bit. If he can’t get any answers concerning his nightmares in the books, then he has to find that Jongup-guy and ask for explanations he is already half positive the other man won’t give him, yet, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  

With a weight still resting heavy on his shoulders, Youngjae waves goodbye to his friend and promises to tell him if there’s any improvement on his sleep issues. As for Yongguk, he makes Youngjae the same promise he made with Junhong: he’ll let him know about the arrival of new books.  

 

 

*

 

 

On his way to Subway, dozens of questions keep tormenting Youngjae and makes the drive difficult. He can’t get lost too deep in his thoughts, he needs to stay attentive on the road, but all those weird events throw a wrench in his gears and keep distracting him.

Youngjae needs to find out what Jongup exactly knows about the Devil and what has driven him into buying all the occult and religious books in Yongguk’s shop, but also why the demon, Junhong apparently, has been looking for the same books. As far as he knows, there has never been anything special about those books, so what can explain the sudden interest? What is it hiding?

 

Parking his car near the fast food entrance isn’t easy and the last thing Youngjae wants is to waste time walking till there so he drives in the back alley even if he has seen the no entry and no parking signs. He doesn’t care, the police can fine him if they want, but he’s not going to drive in circle for hours to find a parking spot.Patience isn’t his strong point.

 

“You can’t park here.”

 

A voice warns when Youngjae sets a foot on the concrete and it would have made him growl if the voice’s owner wasn’t the person he was looking to find, aka Jongup.

 

“What are you going to do about it? Call the cops?” Youngjae dares him after closing his car’s door. “Or are you planning to use a spell from the books you’ve bought to move my car?”

“I’m having my break, I’d appreciate if you could leave.” Jongup doesn’t try to hide his hostility toward Youngjae, he clearly doesn’t want him around.

“I won’t leave until you’ve told me why you went to Yongguk’s shop. I want answers.”

“And I want you to leave.” Before Youngjae can register, Jongup is standing in front of him, frowning. Something is definitely off with the man and Youngjae would very much point his finger on it. “I’ve told you last time already, you shouldn’t have dealt with the Devil.” Another step and Jongup’s forehead would be touching Youngjae’s face. “People who die should stay dead. You can’t play God and toy with lives.”

 

A cold draft seems to blow against Youngjae as if he was inside a room and shivers travel down his whole body. The sensation reminds him of the feeling he’s felt before around the Devil, except this time it’s nothing near agreeable and warm. It’s freezing and piercing and the experience sets doubts in Youngjae’s mind that perhaps Jongup isn’t like every human. Someone can’t just spread gush of wind by simply standing close to you, it’s unnatural.

 

“Where are the books?”

“Somewhere you won’t be able to find them.” Jongup speaks without revealing anything that could lead Youngjae on a track. He’s doing it on purpose and he’s having a knack on getting on Youngjae’s nerves. “You can’t use them. You have to stay out of that.”

“Out of what?” Youngjae doesn’t mean for his voice to raise the way it has but he doesn’t apologize for speaking the way he is. Jongup isn’t particularly being friendly with him anyway, two can play this game. “Out of what do I have to stay out?”

“The less you know the safer you are.”

The vague reply irritates Youngjae more than he thought it could. “Safe from what? From the nightmares I keep having? From the Devil? From the demon who’s been after those books and found nothing else to do than befriending my friend? So? Tell me Jongup,” Youngjae defies him “From what exactly should I stay out of?”

 

Lips parting, Jongup is working his way to retort something but a loud outburst of thunder put a stop to his attempt. Both men jump in surprise, though Youngjae would admit his reaction has been way more ridiculous than Jongup’s.

Jongup, who inexplicably looks at the sky and rolls his eyes, apparently fed up about something out of Youngjae’s grasp.

 

“Live your life to the fullest with Himchan and forget about everything else.” The piece of advice would have gone in one ear and out of the other if Himchan’s name hadn’t been said. As much as Youngjae knows, Himchan had never introduced himself to Jongup despite the more than hundred times he has visited the Subway the younger man is working at, so Jongup shouldn’t know his name.

“Who are you?” Youngjae can’t hold back the question, he doesn’t want to, and this time he really wishes the other will give him an answer because this story is getting nothing but weirder and weirder.

“I should ask you the same question.” Another lightning stroke breaks the sky but Jongup doesn’t flinches this time.

“What do you mean by who I am? I’m Youngjae, no one else.”

 

An annoyed shake of the head is Jongup’s first silent reply. He doesn’t believe him, yet Youngjae can’t say anything else, it’s the truth. He’s nothing but Yoo Youngjae.

 

“Lies.” Jongup coldly comments, unamused. “The Devil is supposed to be locked underworld, a simple human being shouldn’t have been powerful enough to set him free.” Youngjae squints his eyes, trying to put two and two together but whatever Jongup is saying, it doesn’t make any sense to him.

“Himchan should have stayed dead.” A raindrop crashes on top of Youngjae’s nose, startling him, and is soon followed by another, until it simply starts raining. The sudden change of weather seems to be inconveniencing Jongup more than it should, as if the wetness against his skin was stinging him.  

 

While Jongup words are replaying in Youngjae’s head, something suddenly clicks. The Devil had said he’d erase Himchan’s death from everyone’s memory, so how could Jongup know his brother had once be dead?

So far, nobody has remembered Himchan’s death, at least humans haven’t, because obviously, the Devil is plenty aware of it and Youngjae could bet the demon – or Junhong – does too.

Would this mean that Jongup isn’t simply human?

 

“ _Damn_.” The curse interrupts Youngjae’s train of thoughts and he spots Jongup shaking his right hand as if he had been burned by something; but there’s nothing harmful around them, nothing except for the rain.

“I have to go. Don’t come back here and listen to what I’ve said. Stay away from summoning spells and black magic.”

 

Jongup doesn’t spare him a second glance and runs toward a back door in the alley that probably leads to the Subway’s storage room or something of the sort, leaving Youngjae alone under the pouring rain with a dozens of unanswered questions and as many mysteries.  

Frustrated, Youngjae walks back to his car and silently complains about his wet clothes soaking the driver seat.  

 _What a shitty day_ he murmurs as he closes his eyes to take a deep breath. He doesn’t want to say it couldn’t be worse because he has the feeling it definitely could be, so he keeps his mouth shut and tries to put in order the few things he has learned today, which can basically be summarized as _nothing_.

If only the Devil could be there and answer his questions, it would be wonderful.

Wonderful but totally delusional.  

 

The lack of sleep accumulated during the past weeks starts to weigh on Youngjae’s eyelids and before he can contemplate the idea of taking a nap in his car before driving himself home, Youngjae is already gone in dreamland.

Or nightmare-land, if such a place exists because once again everything is dark except for the flames burning around him. They never hurt him but they always stick so close he can’t move or walk further. Sometimes they grow so big and tower him he’s afraid he’ll be swallowed and consumed, but it never happens. Youngjae is simply stuck in there, suffocating.

 

This place, whatever it really is, Hell or not, is empty and lonely, just like how Youngjae had felt when Himchan was dead. It reminds him of a cage of endless suffering and grief, and maybe this time too Youngjae needs the Devil to get out of this desperate and hopeless state.  
If the Devil has managed to drag him out of his sorrow by bringing Himchan back to life, then there’s a chance he’s the one who can put an end to those never-ending nightmares that have been making his life hell, no pun intended.

 

“Finally.” A voice speaks and shivers run down Youngjae’s spine, the cells under his skin tingling like fireworks.

 

The flames that surround him flicker and suddenly die, leaving him to stand inside a circle of ashes. Funny Youngjae thinks, how the flames were like bars and now that they’ve collapsed, have left his cage open.

Youngjae knows that behind him is the Devil – _Daevil_ – but his feet are rooted to the ground and his heart is beating abnormally fast which makes it hard for him to turn around.

 

“I thought you’d never understand how to get out of the fire.” The voice is lower now but Youngjae can clearly feel the presence of the Devil behind him. He’s standing so close their bodies are almost touching but Youngjae tries hard to push away the need of leaning back. He shouldn’t feel that way around the king of Hell.

“So many unnecessary thoughts churning around in that little head of yours.” Lips brushes against his ear and a finger taps against his skull a few times. Youngjae almost leans in the touch and whishes for more, however, his reason quickly fights the unwanted want and anger slowly takes a hold of himself.

 

“Stop doing that.” Youngjae had already warned him once but the Devil had faked innocence and something is telling him that this time is not going to be any different.

“I’m not doing anything _Youngjae_.” The tip of the Devil’s split tongue tingles his neck, ghosting over his throbbing vein and Youngjae has enough of it. He turns around, readying himself to push away the Devil but to his greatest surprise, there’s no one behind him.

 

“What the hell….?” Youngjae blinks and when his eyes open again, he is back inside his car, rightly sat behind the steering wheel. He looks down at himself out of habit and notes with astonishment that his clothes are dry, as if they haven’t been soaked by rain earlier.

The thought of having taken a nap for hours in the back of the alley crosses his mind but a glance at his watch ruins his theory. He has driven from Yongguk’s bookshop to Subway not even fifteen minutes ago and if he counts the time he has talked with Jongup, it would have left him less than five minutes to sleep, and 300 seconds is clearly not long enough for a coat and a pair of jeans to dry.

 

Well, unless the flames he has dreamt of have been real and have helped drying everything out.

Which would also mean that what Youngjae has thought to be nightmares until now hadn’t been dreams and that he has been visiting Hell for real.

 

“I’m going insane…..” Youngjae states, desperation lacing his voice. He wants to bury his face in his hands and let it all go but he’s afraid to close his eyes again. He doesn’t want to be surrounded by fire again, he wants peace, he wants answers, he wants to sleep, simply sleep.

 

“It can happen you know. Humans who come to Hell without being dead sometimes lose their mind.” Youngjae’s head jerk to the side and finds himself face to face with the Devil who’s sporting a vicious smirk. “To be honest, I’ve never seen one human beings keeping a healthy mind with their trip to the underworld. So if I were you I wouldn’t worry too much about becoming crazy.” Youngjae doesn’t know if he should laugh or cry at what the Devil is saying. “On another note, what would be weird would be you visiting my kingdom and staying sane.”

“You’re sick!” Youngjae spits the remark with disdain. He doesn’t understand how the Devil can take everything as a joke when he is completely lost about what is happening to him. “Stop messing with my head and let me sleep! I want those nightmares gone!”

 

The car’s doors lock on their own and before Youngjae can put two and two together, his seatbelt tightens against him and enables him to move.

“Your nightmares can’t go away because they are not nightmares, you’ve seen it.” The Devil announces coldly and straddles him in the blink of an eye.

Youngjae feels his skin growing hotter wherever the Devil’s body is touching his own but it doesn’t burn. It’s borderline bearable but he welcomes the warmth and locks his eyes with the Devil’s. They remind him of two red golden stones, the bright sparks mesmerizing.

The more Youngjae dives inside the two orbs, the more he has the impression that they are turning fully gold and he finds the sight strangely beautiful.

 

“Why..?” Youngjae whispers when he has found his voice back, his eyes not leaving the Devil’s. “Why am I surrounded by flames every single night?”

“Because you’ve made a deal with me.” The Devil replies, matching his voice’s level with Youngjae’s. “Because your soul is bound to me and is trying to reach out to me.”

“How can I make it stop?” The Devil’s lips are too close to his own, Youngjae can feel his breath whenever he speaks. “I need to sleep.”

“You can’t stop it, it’s too late now.” The golden eyes sparkle like diamonds and Youngjae’s eyes travel down to lock on the Devil’s mouth. He wonders for a second how they could taste against his own. Would it taste like ashes?

“Don’t think about it _Youngjae_.”

“About what?” Youngjae tears his attention from the parted lips to look back at the Devil.

“Kissing me.” Warm fingers grab his chin to turn his head to one side and Youngjae can’t help but close his eyes for an instant. He imagines the thick lips sucking his skin and the teeth scraping down his neck but nothing happens only for a brush against his ear. “Because the only way I kiss is by sucking someone’s soul.”

 


End file.
